Arundinella.} GramifieCB. 1 75", 



angular ped., angles and of rhachis scabrid; male spikelets 

 \ in., smooth; glumes I and II subequal or I shortest, oblong- 

 lanceolate, 7-9-veined, III rather longer, 5-veined, paleate 

 empty or triandrous, IV shorter, narrowly lanceolate, paleas 

 of III and IV as long as the glumes, acuminate, keels of III 

 ciliate, of IV eciliate; fern. infl. up to ro in. diam. ; bracts as 

 in the male, but smaller; peduncle thickened towards the 

 base; fern, spikelet \-% in., narrowly lanceolate; glume I, 

 oblong-lanceolate, veins many, scaberulous, II rather shorter, 

 acute, 7-veined, III like II, 5-veined, empty, palea o or im- 

 perfect, IV ovate-lanceolate, 5-veined, palea shorter than the 

 glume, acute, keels smooth. 



Sandy shores. Fl. May. 



Peninsula of India, Burma, Java, China. 



Cultivated on the Madras coast for its sand -binding property. 

 Sometimes called water-pink by Europeans. When burning it makes 

 a crackling noise, like salt when thrown into fire. The globose fruiting 

 heads, becoming detached, are propelled by the wind, assisted by the 

 elasticity of the peduncles, with great velocity along the sandy shores, 

 dropping the seeds in transitu. One may be followed by the eye for 

 miles on its journey. They are so buoyant as to float lightly on water, 

 when the upper peduncles, acting as sails, transport them across estuaries. 

 The utility of the plant in resisting the encroachment of the sea has 

 given it the native name of ' Great Bund of Ravena or Rama ' (Ferguson)., 



14. ARUNDINELLA, Raddi. 



Annual or perennial grasses; 1. narrow; spikelets panicled, 

 terete, articulate on their pedicels or with glumes I and II 

 separately deciduous, 1-2-fld., with the upper fl. always fern.,, 

 rhachilla not or shortly produced between the three lower 

 glumes; glumes 4, membranous, chartaceous, or thinly coria- 

 ceous, III and IV always (?) membranous, I and II empty, 

 strongly veined, acute or acuminate, with a veinless obtuse 

 tip, II longer than I, III shorter than II, faintly 3-7-veined, 

 paleate, male or neuter, rarely bisexual and fruiting, IV much 

 shorter than III and thinner, paleate, fem. or bisexual, sessile, 

 disarticulating at the naked or bearded base, awnless or 

 1-3-awned, if 3-awned 2 lateral awns capillary straight, 

 median geniculate with a straight or twisted column, paleas 

 of III and IV linear or oblong, 2-keeled, flaps more or less 

 conspicuously dilated or auricled at the base ; lodicules 2, 

 minute ; stam. 3, anth. linear-oblong ;' styles free or shortly 

 connate below, stigmas short, laterally exserted ; grain very 

 small, oblong, compressed, loose in the membranous glume 



